Weasel (Watership Down)
The 'Weasel '''is the secondary antagonist to the Watership Down rabbits, who appeared only in the first season of ''Watership Down ''animated TV series. Like most predators who can talk in the show, he calls the rabbits by the name of 'longears'. Biography ''Home on the Down The Weasel made his debut in the second episode, Home on the Down, when the protagonists, Hazel and his rabbit companions, first settle in on Watership Down. The predator has been living around the Down for quite some time as his hunting ground, having preyed on the rabbits who lived there in the past and the local animals residing in the area. After failing to hunt few of the local animals, the Weasel eventually caught the scent of Hazel and his companions, and soon found Pipkin alone in the hills looking for worms to help feed the gull, Kehaar. The Weasel would've killed the young buck right there and then if Bigwig and Hawkbit hadn't intervened and drove the carnivore off, having been warned by the mouse, Hannah, of the Weasel lurking around. The Weasel later discovered where the rabbits were living atop Watership Down while they were playing a game of bobstones, and plotted to attack them that very night. The attempt failed when Kehaar woke up and alerted the rabbits to the carnivore's presence. Knowing that he was outnumbered by the bucks, the Weasel retreated back into the hills where he vowed to get the rabbits 'one by one'. True to his word, the Weasel returned to the warren the following night for a second attempt to hunt the rabbits. He was lured into a rock tunnel within the warren by Hannah, unaware that it was all part of Hazel's plan to get rid of the Weasel. After failing to catch Hannah (who escaped through a hole leading back to the warren), the Weasel was locked within the tunnel and forced to go to the far side of Watership Down, somewhere away from the warren where the rabbits hoped that the predator would stay there and never return to cause anymore trouble. ''The Vision'' After escaping from the underground caverns, the predator developed a hatred for the rabbits for sealing him underground and desired revenge. He made a reappearance in the ninth episode, The Vision, where he was seen traveling across the hills to return to Watership Down to exact vengeance on the Watership Down rabbits. Fortunately by the time he attacked the warren, the Weasel's attempt to kill the rabbits was foiled after falling into traps set up by Bigwig and his Owsla, who had prepared themselves for the carnivore's arrival thanks to Fiver's vision of the approaching predator. The Weasel however was still persistent, promising that he would wait out in the hills until the rabbits venture out sooner or later. The carnivore was then told by the bucks that he would starve if he stayed at Watership Down, since the rabbits won't be out in the open for a long time as they had brought food into the warren, and every animal living in the surrounding area had cleared out after hearing about the Weasel's return and won't come back until the predator is gone. After leaving the warren, the hungry Weasel saw no sign of prey anywhere, but soon came across Fiver, who was sad and upset about seemingly bringing bad things to Watership Down because of his visions. The weasel cornered the young rabbit at a rock structure to eat him, but Bigwig and his Owsla arrived to save Fiver and dealt with the vicious carnivore once and for all. Fate It is unknown what happened to the Weasel after Bigwig and his Owsla jumped on him to save Fiver. Since the scene was rushed (likely due to the show's young target audience), most speculate that the carnivore was driven away from Watership Down for good after the rabbits attacked him, or perhaps the Weasel's need for food outweighed his desire for revenge and he left the Down. It's also possible that the carnivore may have been killed by the rabbits for the future safety of their warren. Personality The Weasel possesses a sinister nature and seemingly considers rabbits as his favorite choice of prey. Because of this, Fiver calls the carnivore a killer. He holds a hatred for the rabbits on Watership Down after they locked him into an underground rock tunnel, which forced him out of his hunting ground, and at one point called them 'stupid' for thinking that the carnivore won't come back to their warren. The Weasel is also vengeful, notably towards the protagonists for sealing him underground. Both vengeance and his hatred for the Watership Down rabbits were what drove him to travel all the way back to the Down to kill the rabbits as revenge for sealing him in the rock tunnel. When he is outnumbered in his attempt to hunt his prey, the Weasel knows when to back down and make his leave, but plots to strike again later. Quotes Gallery Weasel_Swan.jpg|While traveling back to Watership Down, the Weasel tried to prey on a swan only to be driven away when the swan's mate appeared. Weasel_Fiver.jpg|The Weasel attacks Fiver within the rock mount. Weasel_Owsla.jpg|After falling into the traps set up by the rabbits, the Weasel realizes that he was at a disadvantage. Trivia *Another weasel that shares the same character design as the recurring one is shown in a flashback of General Woundwort's past in the TV series adaption. It is possible that the Weasel, who has been causing trouble on Watership Down, is the same one who killed Woundwort's mother, Laurel, in front of the young rabbit's very eyes. Category:Animals Category:Predator Category:Vengeful Category:Ferals Category:TV Show Villains Category:Presumed Deceased Category:Murderer Category:Male Category:Chaotic Evil